VIDEOS: Students Pitch Ways to Improve Standard Umbrella, Alarm Clock, Power Strip and Other Engineering Projects

Do rainy days and Monday (mornings) always get you down? Some University of Cincinnati College of Engineering & Applied Science (CEAS) students have ideas for products that just might lift your spirits.

Nearly 40 engineering projects will be on display at the CEAS Demo Day event held from noon to 3 p.m. March 26 in Tangeman University Centers Great Hall. Students will be on hand to display, demonstrate and discuss their projects. The event is open to the public.

For the projects, the students worked for two semesters to develop products aimed at solving a variety of real-world engineering problems. Work from seniors in computer engineering, computer engineering technology, electrical engineering and electrical engineering technology will be represented.

A panel of approximately 30 local professionals from companies such as Belcan, Honeywell, Intelligrated, L-3 Communications, Paycor and Siemens will serve as judges. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Cincinnati Section will supply cash prizes for the judges top picks.

As part of their projects, the students were asked to record elevator speeches or other creative promotional ideas to pitch their products to potential investors. Here are five of the projects you will see at Demo Day:

Intellibrella: The Smart Umbrella

Developed by Timothy Bueno and John Hickey

The Intellibrella is designed to ensure its users never get caught out in the rain without their umbrella. The electronic device can be attached to any standard umbrella. It electronically monitors weather data and notifies the user of inclement weather. It also can notify users to remind them not to leave their umbrella at the office or school.

Sleep Beat Alarm Clock

Developed by Christopher Rose, Philip Roth and Jessica Sonner

The Sleep Beat Alarm Clock uses a glove-mounted pulse oximetry sensor to monitor a users sleep patterns. Based on heart rate and blood oxygenation data, the device wakes the user at the optimal moment in the sleep cycle. This avoids potential negative health effects such as disorientation or memory loss of waking during the rapid eye movement stage of the sleep cycle.

PowerGenie

Developed by Rod Ghavami, Andrew Nguyen and Jason Van vliet

The PowerGenie is an electrical power strip the user can remotely control via a special mobile device software application. The user can monitor and control the electrical energy usage of devices plugged into the PowerGenie, preventing those devices such as a DVR from passively consuming energy while left in standby mode.

Mobile Device Home Automation

Developed by Bradley Conyers and Kyle Martin

The Mobile Device Home Automation device automatically raises and lowers window blinds for those who are disabled or otherwise cannot conveniently perform this function manually. The device operates the blinds via remote control or unlike similar products currently on the market via mobile device software application. Another unique feature of this device is its solar power source. Other existing products need batteries or to be plugged into a wall outlet.

Android Automotive Display Environment

Developed by Mark Labbato and Camiren Stewart

The Android Automotive Display Environment (AADE) is an Android operating system-powered device that projects a heads-up display of a vehicles systems onto the windshield in a way that is not distracting to the driver. The AADE integrates the functions of multiple pre-existing products into a single device, eliminating the bothersome clutter of multiple dashboard gadgets. It allows the driver to conveniently and safely view real-time car data, such as rate of speed, and interface with a smartphone.

Here are links to several more videos for Demo Day projects:

Sega Game Gear on a Chip

Developed by Samir Silbak and Maxwell Thrun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s17iA7JS54

Embedded System for Wearable Optical Sensors

Developed by Mark Hageman, Wesley Kuryluk and Brian Waring

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57-aZGEPjb8&feature=youtu.be

Seeketh.org

Developed by Vinson Butler, Charles Cox and Brittany Jones

https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=GAS-aWm10Bk

Golf Guide iPhone Application

Developed by Ritesh Patel and Urvish Patel